Murderville
by Voldemort Perfumes
Summary: DARKFIC. How many secrets can one little town like Forks have? Rated M for violence/gore, some adult content, language, and other themes including abuse. Various pairings, canon and non-canon. ALL-HUMAN, by the way. I love reviews!
1. Alea Iacta Est

**Author's Note:** I originally had posted this story on my other account **'Risque For The Sake of Sanity'** but I wasn't getting a lot of hits so I moved it onto here, my old account. I love reviews, and would adore it if you guys took a few seconds to send me one! =]

Since I already have 3 chapters written, updates won't be too far off. I'm currently in the middle of writing CH 4, and I know how the rest of the story is going to go, so no worries. I will finish it eventually.

_**Murderville**_

Today was the beginning of her career in earnest. She was twenty-six, and had the aspiration of becoming a renowned detective. Of course, had she been starting off in a larger city instead, she would have had to wait a long time before being made a detective; at least until she had some seniority and experience. However, when she received an offer to move from Seattle to the small town of Forks, she jumped at it. There she could follow her dream right away, and honestly, they needed all the help they could get.

Forks had never had a murder occur there before, but now one had happened in the quiet logging town, and there was a pressing urge to solve it. So Bella packed up her stuff and made the journey there. She'd stay at the small motel in town at least until she could find an apartment, but the point was, the crime was still brand-new, and there was that old police adage that if a murder case had no significant leads or suspects in a window of 72 hours, it was likely it'd never be solved at all [1]. They therefore needed to begin immediately.

She jammed the gear shift into park, and stepped from her car. Self-consciously she checked out her reflection in her side mirror, noting that while she did appear a twinge nervous, she didn't look completely hopeless either. Just like any new person on the job who wants to impress the boss, she surmised. And that was all fine and well, considering she _was_ a newbie. She had the skill set and the qualifications, but all her experience was with regular patrolling and things of that ilk. Now she had a real case to look forward to. Not a very pleasant one, as it was a murder investigation, but the young woman had more than prepared herself for what she was getting into.

_'Time to begin_,' she thought to herself, and walked the few steps towards the front door of the police station. It was an astoundingly tiny, one-story structure made of whitewashed brick with a black tarred roof and the wear-and-tear of any old building that's been pounded on by the weather. Certainly it took a real beating here, in Forks, Washington. The Pacific Northwest was internationally known for its year-round rain and generally stormy conditions. And it never disappointed here, with over 300 days a year of rain.

Inside, three deputies were throwing darts at a board which held some politician's headshot, taped to the front. The interior was about as colorful, sporting paste-colored walls and blue carpeting which she had previously only seen in the nursing home hallway where her grandmother had lived. A faint rock-n'-roll tune hummed from the stereo on one of the deputies' desks, and her suspicions were confirmed that indeed, this town did seem to be as sleepy as she had originally feared. Already she missed Seattle for its sheer busyness, so she reminded herself again of the opportunities this town was going to give her.

She announced her presence by rapping her knuckles on the front counter, and eerily like Pavlov's dogs, these men seemed to recognise that signal, turning their heads at once to notice her standing there. One got up and hurried over, his friends staring. One even dropped his dart.

"Officer Newton, pick your dart up, you're never going to beat a double fourteen, just face it. Embry, will you get out his file and set on my desk? I think we've finally got our back-up," the second joked as he walked over to the counter to greet her. His long, dark hair shone even in the dismal light of the station, and she admired him briefly, but only briefly. She wasn't going to let any feelings get in the way of her professional life. '_At least not on the clock,'_ she added.

"Detective Isabella Swan," she informed him, offering out her hand to shake. He took it, and she noted approvingly that his grip was good and firm.

"Yes, and you are Jacob Black, assuming that your nametag is correct?" she smiled wryly. "Is your Chief around, by any chance? I'd prefer to get started on the case as soon as possible, and I want to see who I need to talk to in this town."

"You're looking at the chief, Ms. Swan." Jacob's full lips curved into a smirk as she showed her disbelief. "I'm a bit young for the honor, yes, but I was the best officer, and frankly, there are only three of us. Someone had to do the job. Step into my office, and we'll talk." Bella recovered quickly from the shock, and composed herself. '_Alright then, so he's who I have to work with. He seems to be competent enough, so I think we can make this turn out just fine. It's a simple, small-town crime. There can't be many suspects, and so I should be on my way to bigger and better things within a few weeks, at the maximum.'_

He led her down the hallway to a small room that was mostly taken up by an ancient, maple desk that housed a shiny new laptop and seven intimidating stacks of papers placed haphazardly over the desk's surface. Only a very small space in the corner was reserved for a reading lamp. The chair Bella was offered was old and comfortable, almost like something you might have in your living room at home, not at work. She decided then that the office was cozy, but could use some organization.

They both sat down, and like she had made clear she wanted, they got right down to business.

"Okay, who should I talk to then, if you had to guess, Chief Black?"

"Call me Jake, Bella, we're going to be working in _close_ proximity, so why not have familiarity? Also, if I were you, I would talk to the people on the rez, because those are Sam's people. They know him better than any of the Forks townies, I can guarantee you that. His fiancée Emily might be able to give you insight, and regrettably, she is our only suspect at this time, so you might want to question her yourself anyway. Finally, you can ask me anything about Sam you think I can answer for you. He and I were friends." His face fell slightly.

"I'm sorry Jake. I know how much you must want to find who did this. Do you know why anyone would want to kill Sam?"

"No, I don't. The whole thing baffles me, because if anyone were to be murdered in this town, he was the last one I would have ever thought would be. Everyone loved Sam; he didn't really have any enemies. Can't say the same for some people in the area. I'm really grasping at thin air when I try and think about why someone would poison his food. All I can think is that there's some psycho out there who does this for their own amusement. And as you can guess, Bella, I very much hope that's not what we're dealing with."

"Indeed. Him not having enemies is going to complicate our investigation though. Are you _sure_ there wasn't anyone who might have been holding a grudge, for however small of a reason?" she pressed, leaning forward so that she could place her hands on top of the desk. His black eyes looked off thoughtfully for a few tense moments, but when he regained eye contact with her again, she knew he was trying to answer her.

"Maybe Leah Clearwater, but it's been years, and I doubt she would hold a grudge for so long. Especially not after Emily's accident; Leah was in the hospital with her when she was recovering. I always assumed they found a way to make up for things during that time."

"What's the situation there?"

"Well, Sam dated Leah, originally, but when he met Emily---Leah's cousin---he left Leah for her. Then about a year ago, Sam and Emily were camping, and she wandered off on her own, and went too close to the river. A black bear was there, and mauled her. Sam got there in time to save her, but her face was ruined. Several deep scars still cover the half of her face she didn't cover while she was being attacked."

She winced. "Sounds rather like a soap opera to me."

"It is the only big scandal around here, unless you think having a gay couple is a scandal." Jacob's eyes searched hers, but her face remained passive. Bella had nothing against anyone.

"So, who is the couple?" she decided to ask, figuring that she might as well know all she could about people in the town.

"Aro and Carlisle Cullen. They have two grown-up kids. Emmett's in college, and Alice just graduated from the high school. Carlisle's a doctor up at Forks General, and his partner is the only lawyer in town. They're actually quite wealthy. No one understands why they'd want to live out here with that kind of money, but we're grateful to have the both of them. They're good at their jobs and are active in the community. We've never had any trouble with them," Jacob stated. "In fact, Aro is offering up a 5,000 dollar reward if anyone can help us find who killed Sam; the Uleys couldn't raise the money on their own, so he volunteered to front the cash."

"Nice of him."

"Yeah, it is. We're hoping that's a good enough incentive for someone to come forward; if anyone knows anything, that is. It was a homicide, so it's not like there were people around. Just Sam and Emily," Jake concluded. "And you already know we think Emily's innocent."

"Yes, but I think I want to talk to her first, if you don't mind. Just so I get my own impression of her."

"No, I don't mind, and she'll tell you anything you want to know. I can swing you by there if you want--it's right by my place, and I'm going home to help Dad with lunch. He's in a wheelchair, so he can't reach some of the food in the upper cupboards," he explained.

"Alright," she agreed, "let's go."

* * *

**La Push, Washington---** _Isabella Swan._

Emily and Sam's house was composed of cedar siding and a hunter green roof. It had a large porch attached to it, and a fireplace out back. As for the crime scene, that would be the front room, which served as a combination kitchen, living, and dining room. As soon as one walked in the main door of the house, you were right there. When she arrived, Emily was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, one of which she offered her when she invited her in. Bella accepted, and they sat down to talk.

"As you already know, I'm Emily. Sam and I were going to be married next month, so I was already going by his last name, Uley."

"Detective Isabella Swan. It is unfortunate we had to meet under these circumstances, Mrs. Uley," the detective humored her. She smiled weakly at the gesture, but nodded in response to her introduction.

"I came here to ask you some questions about the... event in question. I know they will be similar to the ones Chief Black and the deputies have already entreated you to answer, but I'm new to the case, and I hope you won't mind answering them again for me."

"Of course not, Detective Swan. I will do anything I can to assist you and the police; I want to find who killed my Sam, so that justice will be done. I can't stand the thought of the killer still being out there. What if he hurts someone else? How could I live if their loved ones go through the same grief that I am coping with? I couldn't." She took a slow, steadying sip of her coffee, and her similarly colored eyes met Bella's. "Please, ask me _anything_ you need to know."

Before then, she hadn't paid too much attention to her face, not wanting to upset her if she started to stare at her disfigurement, but her eyes now darted there of their own accord. As Jacob had said, numerous scars were etched onto her copper skin, giving it the appearance of someone old and withered, when really, she was two years younger than Bella was. You could tell her youth if you just looked at the unmarked side of her face. Detective Swan guessed that before the attack, she must have been heartbreakingly beautiful. But now, she was ruined. Sam really must have loved her if they stayed together. Bad men never would.

Yet another complication. It would have been easier if he had been a jerk, or _something_. Then it would have been clearer who might be the real culprit. Someone who hated him, but as far as she could see, no one really had.

She cleared her throat, mentally shaking off that train of thought. There was still one possibility.

"I heard that before you, Sam was involved with Leah Clearwater. What can you say about that?" Bella questioned.

"It's complicated. Leah's my cousin, but from the moment Sam and I met, there was no going back. It was pretty much love at first sight, and as much as I didn't want to hurt her, I couldn't help myself. I couldn't give up the love of my life just to save her a little pain."

"Did she ever say she forgave you?"

"Not in so many words, but she acts more okay with things now that it's been a few years. We have her, Seth, and my aunt and uncle over a lot, since we live practically next door to each other. It's like I have my sister back; that's what I always considered her to be prior to the whole breaking-up fiasco. We were tight, you know, and I think she's gotten over it. Though, I know his death must have been just as hard on her as it has been for me. We both loved him at some time."

Bella made a mental note of this, and then moved on to more objective matters.

"I know this may be painful for you, Mrs. Uley, but can you describe exactly what happened, what you did on the day that he died?" she hoped that using the name would soften the blow of the remembrance a little.

"Well, it was really an ordinary day. He died just after breakfast. All he had were some of my muffins, and you can't imagine how guilty I feel, even though it's not my fault. I mean, I baked them, not knowing they were poisoned. I don't even know how the batter got to be that way."

"Did you leave the batter alone at any point?"

"Yes, I store it in the freezer when I'm not using any. I usually make a lot when I get the urge to bake, so I always have tons of leftover batter. I save it for other times, and that's what I did this time. I got it out of the freezer when I woke up, and let it thaw out for a while. I get up before Sam does; I've always been a bit of an early riser. I set it on the counter, and then went back upstairs to take a shower and get ready for the day. When I was done with all that, he was waking up, and so I went to the kitchen, poured the batter into the muffin tray, and then set them to bake. I stayed in that room after that, so they must have already been tainted before I put them in the oven."

"Mmm-hmm, and about what time would you say that was?"

"A little after nine."

"And when did you begin to notice something was wrong with him?"

"Probably just before ten o' clock. He scarfed down two like he always does, and then he went to drink some milk. Next thing I know, it was coming back out, and I was about to laugh at him for drinking it so quickly, but then he started foaming at the mouth, like some rabid_ dog_!" Her voice took on a hysterical tone. "He was gone before the paramedics even got here." Tears began to fall over her ruined cheeks, and Bella leaned forward, grabbing the woman's hand and squeezing it.

"We will find whoever did this to Sam. You just have to be strong now. Did you tell me everything you can remember about that day?" she pressed in a firm tone.

Emily shuddered and took several deep breaths. "I just, I don't feel like it's relevant. I think I'm losing my mind, overthinking things... I mean I'm not even sure if this is true or not, but when I got the batter out of the refrigerator, it seemed sealed, but when I came back downstairs to pour it, it was easier to open."

"It's perfectly normal to overanalyze things once a loved one is gone. It may be that the container was less-sealed, but as you yourself said, maybe it wasn't. In sum, thanks for your cooperation, Mrs. Uley. I won't bother you any more today."

After leaving the house, Bella had but to walk next door to reach the Clearwater residence. Everyone around here lived close to their neighbors, she noted. That would mean there was a possibility that a neighbor would have seen someone sneaking into the Uley house that morning, unless the person came around the back of the house, which was where the division with the forest began. If they had come through the trees, it would be unlikely that the perp would be noticed at all.

The Clearwaters also had a tiny but two-story house, built in the colonial style and painted a light gray. The front door set it apart, being a rich shade of dark blue, and that was the focal point Isabella was noticing as she waited for someone to answer her ring of the doorbell.

A young woman who looked in her early twenties opened the door, and she assumed this had to be the infamous Leah.

The detective had seen people like this woman before, and was certain she was hiding something. Her bitterness was both understandable and obvious. The situation was clearly not the optimistic picture everyone else seemed to assume. Leah had never forgiven her cousin, and that was apparent from the first good look Isabella Swan got at her. And with that assumption, the young Miss Clearwater's name could not be removed from the list of probable suspects. In fact, it moved her to the very top of said list in absence of more motivated persons.

"Come in, Detective Swan." She stepped away and let the door swing farther open, revealing the modest interior of her home.

Bella stepped inside, and allowed herself to be led to the living room for the questioning, wondering if her suspect was more sad or angry nowadays about what had happened in her messy love life. To her, Leah seemed more like an empty shell than anything else. Was that enough motivation for murder though?

As soon as they sat on opposing sofas, she spoke.

"I know what you want to ask me, and I just want to let you know I won't be able to answer a lot of your questions. I was gone the day Sam died. I regret that, a lot. I don't think it would have mattered, but I would feel less guilty if I had been right there when it happened. Maybe I could have seen something that would have stopped it, you know?"

Bella was taken aback by this, but was determined to get as much information as she could.

"And where were you then, if not at home?"

"I was out running errands. Filling prescriptions, getting some groceries, stuff like that. My mother works two jobs, so she doesn't have the time to do a lot of those day-to-day things. If you want, I still have the receipts. I save everything," Leah offered.

"That might be helpful. I'll give them back to you as soon as I can make copies," Bella said.

"I'll go and get them out of my purse. It's in the kitchen, be right back."

Leah left the young detective sitting on the loveseat, and crept slowly towards the kitchen, carrying off as casual an air as she could. On the inside though, she was feeling an overwhelming sense of nerves. What if she thought Leah had done it? _What if she arrests me_? the woman thought unhappily as she went straight to the cordless phone on the counter, and hit speed-dial four. As soon the other line picked up, she muttered "Two," into the receiver and then hastily hung up.

Steeling hersef, she then found her purse and fished through it for the receipts that would prove her innocence. Upon spotting them, she snatched them up and made a beeline back towards the living room. She handed them over to Bella, and then sat in her previous seat on the other couch.

"I'll take these in as evidence of your alibi, thank you, Miss Clearwater."

Leah nodded slightly and leaned back in her seat.

There was an extended silence as Bella examined a few of the receipts to get a timeline of that day. Everything seemed to be going very well indeed until...

"LEAH! Leah, he's spazzing out! Can you please call? Now!" a boy screamed from what might have been the second floor. Leah knew immediately what was going on, and hiding her feelings, she responded to Seth's panic.

"You run down to the store and get Mother. I'll call 9-1-1 for an ambulance," she said back to him.

Isabella raised an eyebrow at this.

In all honesty, there was nothing wrong with those words. It's what you would expect any reasonable, caring person to do if they found out their father was having a heart attack. The problem again, was Leah's attitude in general. Her hand drifted almost lazily to the phone, and the way she'd spoken to her brother was calm, far too calm. Isabella couldn't see herself being so eerily together if her own father were in that sort of danger.

The lamp casted its orange glow over the dial as those three infamous numbers were punched in, leaving the caller's face in some shadow as she waited for the other end to pick up. Her free hand was occupied by tapping her fingers against the wood no more urgently than if she was making an order for pizza over the phone. The same tone was used in speaking to the responder, detective Swan noted.

"Hello, my father is in cardiac arrest. Yes, at our home," she continued, giving out their address for the ambulance. "Thank you so very much," she concluded robotically, laying down the phone on its cradle once the formalities were over.

The strange behavior, unfortunately didn't end there. Leah and her brother waited out front for the ambulance, and directed them quite clearly as to what room their father was in, yet both of them seemed like they weren't going to follow their father to the hospital, unlike Sue Clearwater, who was riding along in the ambulance with her husband. The girl seemed merely uninterested, as if it were a boring outing, while on the other hand, her brother's nerves seemed about shot to the point where he couldn't bring himself to make such a tiring effort to go out to the hospital. In the end, Isabella fetched Jacob from his house, and they offered the siblings a ride to check on their father; an offer which it was made clear would not be polite to refuse.

So the Clearwaters ended up oddly enough, in the back of the police car like common prisoners. And if she could have arrested them for being so unresponsive to their father's condition, Bella had half a mind she would.

Jake had the radio on the whole way there, presumably to diffuse the tension, but all it did was serve to incense the detective even more. In fact her scowling and rearview mirror checks only skyrocketed as the drive went on. Their passengers paid her no attention, but remained quiet, expressionless, save for the one fleeting glance at each other that Bella didn't see. The sister's eyes narrowed as she looked at her brother in an accusatory way, and his went wide with what could have been several different emotions.

But both police officers missed this exchange completely, and after the three seconds in which it had transpired, both Clearwater siblings were back to their passive state. This nonchalance continued all the way to Forks General Hospital.

* * *

**Forks, Washington---Hospital---**_Isabella Swan._

The town's hospital was not a very large or impressive building, but simply by those characteristics, it made itself better than other hospitals. Being large, or visually pleasing, or impressive was not the goal of a medical center. Its mission was to cure people, and the more money and effort put towards that cause, the better. Forks General clearly cared more about its patients than any critics, so that was a great first impression in itself.

They arrived only a few minutes after the ambulance, thanks to Jacob turning on the patrol car lights to clear their way. With a heart attack, every _second_ counted, and Isabella could clearly remember her own experiences with her grandfather. He'd undergone a massive heart attack, and died on the ambulance ride to the hospital, which had only taken five minutes of driving. Five minutes, and he was gone forever. Every breath was to be fought for in these situations.

Parking up front, they let the Clearwaters out of the back of the car, and let them go on. By the time they had arrived, the siblings seemed to have a change of heart, rushing inside the hospital as if they really did give a damn. Jacob chose to stay back with Bella, and they walked in at a normal pace. Once there though, he pulled her off to the side and spoke with her.

"I know you think they're acting really strangely, but their father's been on heart medication for the past five years. They've practically been waiting for something like this to happen, so can you forgive them a little for being more quiet? It doesn't mean they don't care," he said, his deep, brown eyes boring into hers, willing her to see his point of view.

"I just think it's strange, even if they had been waiting for it. I mean, it's their dad, and he only has one life," she argued. "He's not coming back if he dies now. Would you be this calm if your father was the one in there being treated?"

"I can't say, Bella, because I haven't been there. Nobody can say truthfully what they'd feel if they haven't been in those shoes." His tone had an edge of coldness to it now, and she didn't want him to be angry at her, but Bella was just a stubborn person. She stood with her convictions, and she felt it was unnatural not to be worried about a parent in this kind of scenario. No matter what kind of relationship you might have with said parent.

"Well, you know my opinion, Jake. Why don't you go see if you can find out what's happening? _I'm_ going to wait out here," she informed him, gesturing around the lobby area of the emergency room. It was completely empty, a feat that would never occur in any bigger city.

"Sure, sure." It sounded like something a teenage boy might say, but oddly enough it suited his brusque nature. Bella could tell already that they were going to disagree on a many things, but she hoped it wouldn't be a stumbling block for their working relationship.

He hurried off towards the nurses' station, and she glanced around the room again before sighing. With nothing better to do, she decided to look for the restroom, maybe splash some water on her face. It certainly had been an eventful first day on the job.

The halls were a normal, glaring white color with blue and white lineoleum tiles as flooring. The peace and quiet as she wandered up and down the corridors lulled her into a state where she could almost be sleeping if she were laying down. Only the sounds of footsteps and the soft electric buzz of the medical monitors pervaded the air, and she didn't have to go very far before she found the room.

Stepping inside, she winced at the fluorescent lighting, and the small puddles of water on the floor and counter by the sinks. '_Just like any restroom in public, though,_' she reminded herself.

There was a full-length mirror just inside the door, and she looked herself over. Her outfit, upon the day's contemplation, was a little impractical for a town like Forks. She'd do better to invest in a couple pairs of regular jeans and tee-shirts. There would come days when she'd get dirty, and since the officers around here apparently had no formal uniform...plainclothes would have to do the trick. She'd already made the smart decision to pull her hair back into a ponytail, so just get the jeans and another pair of running shoes, and she'd probably be squared away for good.

Maybe if she called her older sister Esme, she could take care of that stuff. Bella desperately hated shopping, for any reason, and Esme lived out in Sequim with her husband and kids. She worked at the Olympic Game Farm[2] as one of their resident veterinarians, and loved taking her daughters shopping. Even her son Derek could be persuaded to go along sometimes; usually if he was offered a reward for doing so. Yes, she already was going to call her tonight to tell her how the new job went, so why not beg her to do her this favor? Anything to avoid her most-loathed activity.

Bella stepped up to the sink and washed her hands, figuring she might as well, and feeling somewhat pressured to do so by the hospital signs posted on the walls. They all depicted how to properly wash, as well as the sign above the hand sanitizer that slyly said, "For patients, staff, _and_ visitor's use."

After she was through, she splashed water on her face, feeling herself cool down at once. This calmed her, and so to complete the measure, she put her hair down, massaging her head with both hands to release the built-up tension there. _'Much better.'_

Feeling ready to go back out to the lobby and sit things out, she headed for the restroom door, opening it casually and stepping out. She could hear voices just down the hall, and they seemed to be fighting about something. Concerned and a little curious, she walked down that way, finding the source of the noise to be stemming from the on-call room where the doctors usually slept for an hour or two on nights where they had long shifts.

Bella stood outside of the door, and listened in carefully.

"I just found it! I thought it was pretty!" a female voice pleaded desperately, "I don't know whose ring it is, or I would have given it to them. You know that!"

"Where did you find it?" questioned a man's eerily calm voice.

"I..." the woman trailed off, raising more suspicion. "I can't remember, it was a while ago."

"You should know better. I want you to turn it into the lost-and-found at the front desk. _Today_, am I clear?"

"Fine," she concluded quietly. "I'll do what you want."

There was a pause, and all Bella could hear was the faint sounds of a footstep from inside the room, and then a few seconds of measured silence. "You always do," the man reminded the woman in a silky tone, disgusting the detective a little. "You're my good girl, aren't you sweetheart?"

"Of course I am. I love you." Her tone was undecipherable.

"Then we're still on the same page. Now go run along and hand it in, then go home. You know your father's taking you out to dinner tonight since Margretta's on her day off; don't keep him waiting."

Bella instinctively knew their conversation was done, so she moved back towards the restroom to make it look like she was just getting out of there. At the same time she was 'leaving' the bathroom, a young girl of probably eighteen or so stole out of the on-call room, looking very unhappy about something. The girl was tiny and slender with spiky, black hair sticking up in every which way as if it had just been through one of those industrial-sized fans. She eyed Bella, but said nothing before continuing towards the lobby.

Less than a half a minute later, a tall man with perfectly-coiffed blonde hair stepped out of the same room, pulling his arms through the sleeves on his white lab coat. He spotted Bella immediately, and unlike the girl, he made nice. Walking up beside her, he greeted her with a, "I don't think I've seen you around before, are you lost, perhaps?"

He seemed kindly enough now that he was talking to her. In fact, had she not just heard that other exchange, she probably would have succumbed to his flawless charm.

"No, just waiting around. A person I was interviewing's father went into cardiac arrest, and they're in with him now."

The doctor's eyes showed concern. "Did the ambulance just arrive?"

"Yeah, about ten minutes ago," Bella answered him. "Harry Clearwater was the one brought in."

"In that case, I need to run over there real fast. Please, ask one of the nurses if you have any more questions, but I have to go help out Dr. Gerandy, if that's true. Sometimes two sets of hands can work miracles."

And with that explanation, he dashed off down the hall, leaving Isabella alone again in the corridor.

It was about then that she decided to go back to the lobby to wait things out, but when she returned, Jacob was already there with Seth, who had his back turned to both of them. He was making sobbing sounds into his hands, and Jake was clearly trying to pretend he didn't hear, so Bella followed along with the act. Instead she gestured at the young man, shooting her co-worker an inquisitive look.

Jake shook his head sadly. "They tried to revive him, but he didn't pull through."

"It's too bad," she answered. "A doctor I ran into was just running over there to help, guess he was too late."

"Which doctor?"

"I don't know, he never gave me his name. He was blonde though, looked kind of young for his age."

"That would be Dr. Cullen then. It _is_ too bad then. He's brilliant, but who's to say he could have helped the..." Jake glanced over his shoulder at Seth, and lowered his voice, "situation with Harry. We just don't know if anyone could have made a difference there."

"True," Bella echoed him.

There was a pause in which the room was very quiet for a moment.

"Hey, uh, officer Swan, Jacob, could I ask a favor?" The duo turned to look at Seth, who had ambled his way over, still looking overwhelmingly miserable. "Could you take me home? I don't think I could stand watching them wheel him out. I want to remember Dad when he was alive, not as a corpse, if that's understandable."

"Of course," she jumped in quickly, feeling nothing but sympathy. "We'll take you home if you want. Is your sister staying?"

"She wants to be with our mom; Leah's trying to talk her out of an autopsy, doesn't want them to cut into him if she can avoid it. Says it was obvious what he died of, but Mom has this almost morbid curiosity. She doesn't want to believe he died of a heart attack like a lot of folks do. She wants a 'better excuse' because well, she really loved him, and it's hard for her to believe he's gone, just like that." Seth slapped both of his hands together rapidly to illustrate his point.

"Alright then, let's go back out to the car then," Jacob concluded, and he led the way outside.

They walked out to the patrol car, but as Jake unlocked it, Seth's eyes lit up suddenly, and he glanced in the other direction. Bella looked, trying to see what he was staring at, but she saw nothing but other cars or empty parking spaces. Save for a rather ostentatious yellow Porsche, nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Would you two hold on just a minute...?" Seth asked, not really listening for either of the officer's answers as he jogged towards the second row of parking, stopped right in front of the Porsche, and waved at its tinted windows.

The driver seemed not to notice, so he went and rapped on one of the windows with his knuckles. _That_ seemed to get the person's attention, as Seth stepped back so that the person could open the driver's side door and get out.

The driver turned out to be the girl Isabella had run into in the hallway earlier. The girl with the ring she'd "found." Seth seemed to know her well, as he persuaded her to walk over to the patrol car with him.

"Sorry for dashing off," he said breathily, his face less of a mask now that his smile was coming back. "I just saw her and I couldn't not say hello. This is my girlfriend, Alice. Alice, you know Jake, but you don't know Detective Swan, she's new in town. First day on the job, I think." His girlfriend gave him the classic, "please don't embarrass me" look, and dropped her eyes, gazing instead at her feet for a second before stepping forward to meet Bella.

The ladies shook hands. "My name is Bella, it's nice to meet you."

"Alice," the girl said simply. She then turned to her beau. "Aro's taking me to dinner tonight, but I'll call you later, all right? I'm so sorry about your dad, Seth."

"We'll survive somehow," he said casually, probably trying to sound tough. "But I really would appreciate the call."

"I won't forget. Bye, um, nice meeting you Bella, maybe we'll see each other around town some time?" she gabbed on errantly as she placed a quick peck on Seth's lips.

He tried to pull her in for something longer-lasting, but she shooed him off with a wave of her hand and then returned to her car. Not too much after that, the three could hear the engine purr to life as it sped out of the hospital parking lot and onto the main road.

Seth sighed unhappily. "Okay, _now_ I guess I'm ready to go home."

Jacob nodded. "Hop in, kid."

* * *

**Forks, Washington---** _3rd Person POV._

She watched him hungrily as he stalked towards her and the bed, shedding his clothes as he went.

"I got what I wanted, and I thank you." His eyes flickered to hers as he climbed on the bed, moving to lie on his back. His lips curved into a sinister smile as she straddled his lap, her hair falling downward to tickle his abs. He kept himself in top condition, and so did she; it was something he always appreciated during their times together. His lover was like a siren who called to him with her beauty and her very _self_. There was little he wouldn't do for her.

And she did have scars. They were the motivator for a lot of things she either wanted or did in life; he figured that out early on in their relationship.

"Now I think it's time to claim your prize."

And with that, her lips descended to kiss his.

He found that his prize had been well worth the effort. She was very... talented at rewarding him.

So passed another night in sin.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Yes, this will be a very mystery-filled, very DARK story. There will be gore, sex, violence, and a number of unsavory things as the chapters roll on. If you can't handle it, please don't harm yourself by reading any further. Also, if you hadn't guessed already, it will be a Jacob/Bella story. All-human. No werewolves or vampires, just a town full of raving lunatics, as I like to put it. Please tell me what you think in a review. They make me eager to want to write more._

_Footnotes:_

[1]--This is a fact put out in a 2003 report from the Department of Justice. Another piece of knowledge is that most homicides if solved, are solved within the first 48 hours.

[2]--The Olympic Game Farm website with all the fun details: http://www(dot)olygamefarm(dot)com/

[3]--A fanart that best depicts how I think the (human) Leah would look: http://isiskiss(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/leah-clearwater-106284665


	2. Mad House Party

**Author's Note:** _I know, I usually don't do an author's note before the chapter begins, but I wanted to specifically warn you that this chapter we get into some very dark areas. If it's too much for you, just don't read any further. It may be disgusting, horrifying, I'm not even sure, but you have been warned. If you find yourself feeling down after this chapter I suggest watching a heartwarming movie and drinking hot cocoa with a nice blanket to keep you comfortable. But if you're totally into twisted drama, _Cruel Intentions_ and _New Best Friend_ are excellent films too._

_So the moral of the story is don't blame me afterwards and say I didn't tell you it wasn't going to be very pretty. Thanks for your cooperation._

_Oh also, as for everyone's ages, Rose + Jasper are 22, and Ed + Alice are 19. Just thought I'd give you that information. By the way, these four aren't all as friendly with each other as they are normally (in the book series). Just be forewarned that everything's not so chummy as you'd expect.  
_

**_Murderville_**

Ever since she had reached puberty, Alice Cullen had attracted a lot of attention from the opposite sex. At first it went mostly unnoticed by her, or if she did notice, she played it off nonchalantly. She felt she was too young to get involved with boys, to the like all the other girls. Her playful nature came off as flirty though, and this only stoked the fires of her would be-suitors.

But then one year, something changed in her.

It was a day she did not like to think about, did not like to remember because it had transformed her completely. Gone was the playfulness. She was more withdrawn, but conversely she was also more amenable to expressions of desire. She went out of her way. She did things she ought not to do. She was repeatedly unfaithful. No one understood it. She didn't even recognize herself any more. She felt trapped, and sex was the only way she could get through to others, make them care about her.

Or so she now thought, anyway.

Thankfully now she had someone who understood that she wasn't perfect.

She snuggled in closer to the man who above all other humans she cared about. No one mattered to her as much as he did, nor would anyone ever come close to meaning as much. All the other people she was with, had been with, she loved none of them. Her love was right here.

They were just watching a movie today, kicking back and relaxing. He had her tucked under his arm with a blanket pulled over their laps. Frequently as her mind wandered she might look at him or play with his hair. He didn't mind even that she was distracting him from his favourite movie. Jasper knew it just wasn't intriguing to her, but she'd agreed to watch it anyway.

He was beginning to find her more interesting than the film also.

"Can't you ever sit still?" he whispered, smirking.

"Not when I'm this close to you," she said coyly, purposefully pressing herself against him.

He knew what she had in mind, and though he never regretted any physical time they spent together, it made him somewhat sad, somewhat confused. Jasper knew what she was like. Why she was always fixated with sex. It made him sad that her mind was so convinced that no good relationship was without an excess of the act. It made him wonder sometimes if that's all she really wanted him for.

It's doubts like these that can really poke at a person and make him bitter.

Still, he let himself be gulled.

He kissed her without really thinking about it, and maneuvered her onto her back on the couch. Her body was soft to his touch as he pushed one hand under the hem of her shirt, palming her right breast. Lowering his mouth, he kissed her neck, hoping that any negative thoughts would go away if he distracted himself further. Yet even as he began to pleasure her, the doubts and his anger made their return.

Fighting the impulse, he managed to get her skirt off.

She pushed her hips up, trying to urge him along, hurry him into it. Whatever he intended before, she would never let him just take it slow with her, love her completely like he so wanted to. Their copulation was eternally rushed, sometimes interrupted, and almost always rough. If he even tried to be sweet with her she'd stop things altogether, like she couldn't stand anyone to be caring to her during sex.

It seemed to illicit a bad response in her, and he though hating the reason for it, understood why. The very first time she'd had sex was not so pleasant for her. So her mind had twisted itself into believing that there was no real thing such as lovemaking.

Her hands were now trying to get him out of his jeans even while he just wanted to touch her for now, kiss her, hold her. Draw things out a little. She was rushing towards satisfaction while he was about ready to snap. He loved her so damn much, but sometimes his love seemed futile.

Sighing with frustration he sat up, leaving a very confused lover to wonder as to why he'd stopped.

"What's wrong?" she murmured.

He shook his head. When he was angry like this, he needed quiet. He never wanted to lash out at her, never wanted her to see that she hurt him on occasion.

"Well I am just _guessing_, but I'd say it's because you're still making house calls with that Clearwater boy. You know it's not very healthy for a relationship if one of you is constantly sleeping around with other men," said a cool, female voice, sounding both haughty and bemused as she called out Alice.

Rosalie Hale had unbeknownst to them been sitting the whole time on the staircase, watching their sport. It wasn't the first time she had, either. Jasper's twin sister was like a shadow that never went away, and she was never a little ray of sunshine personality-wise. In fact sometimes he wondered if her main goal in life was trying to break him and Alice up for some dastardly reason of her own. Rosalie had just never been fond of her, and he couldn't fathom why.

"Go away," he snarled, glaring at her. He was not in the mood to deal with his sister right now, and if he didn't get a handle on some of this anger he was scared at what he might do.

"Fine," she acquiesced, throwing her hands up. "I was just giving Alice some advice she's too much of a slut to take. You could have picked someone classier, that's all _I'm_ saying."

Rose stood and traipsed up the stairs to her room two at a time. Her brother and her were identical in many ways, their wrath included. She knew he'd really freak out if she poked and prodded him too much, and she'd at least gotten her say. And it was clear to her that no matter how much he snarled at her to leave, he had at least considered her words to the point of being upset.

Her room and more specifically her phone awaited her. Causing trouble was just too much fun, after all, so why stop? The day was still plenty young.

She flopped on her bed and grabbed the cordless, dialing the number of her best friend. It was about time he came to visit her; she could use a little entertainment after all. He was just as fun to manipulate as her brother and his stupid whore girlfriend. Perhaps even better because he was entirely under her control. She could ruin his whole little world if she wanted to, but she hadn't so far. He was too fun to give up also.

"Hello Edward, I do hope you're not busy tonight," she simpered, voicing her invitation. "I was expecting you'd come over for a couple hours or so. You can stay the night if you want to, our parents aren't home." _I could really care less if Mother and Father ever came home_, she added viciously to herself.

She waited for him to confirm their plans, and was of course, not disappointed in her hopes. He had never been able to say no to her.

"Wonderful, I'll see you in a bit."

It was not too much longer when Edward let himself into the Hale house. The truth was he had not been doing anything at his own home, and so when his best friend---for lack of a better term---had called, he had hurried along without much persuasion. However, he was not prepared for what he was walking into. To get to the stairs and thus the second floor, he had to walk through both the kitchen and the living room. In the latter was the problem.

It shouldn't have been a problem. His friend's brother making out with his girlfriend on the couch. Not usually a big deal unless you knew Edward's innermost thoughts. Feelings.

"Hello Alice," he said as casually as he could muster while walking past them. She didn't even stop to return the greeting.

His mood soured as he hustled upstairs to Rosalie's room.

Rosalie could have easily warned him Alice was over so he wouldn't have to watch them having a go at it. But though his subconscious inevitably knew better, he had no actual reason to suspect his best friend of orchestrating this meeting on purpose. If she told him she didn't do it, he would have to believe her, even if she was lying through her pretty teeth.

"So glad you're here, the other two aren't much company as you've probably noticed," were her first words to him as he entered her bedroom, closing the door behind him tightly.

"I did notice that. Then again it must be hard for her to even manage a hello with your brother's tongue down her throat," he griped, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

Rosalie only permitted herself to laugh on the inside and her face remained sympathetic. Clucking her tongue disapprovingly she put one hand on his shoulder. "Don't pout Edward, it's unattractive. I don't even know what want with her anyway. She's so overused, you know." She went to, kissing his shoulder once before leaning her chin on it instead. He seemed to relax to her touch, and she smiled secretively.

"Don't worry about her," she murmured. "You're not going to be left out. I'd have you any day. You know that, don't you?"

Rosalie was never one to stall.

She hopped up and settled herself directly on his lap, her position leaving no doubt about her intentions. He lazily put both arms around her waist, keeping her where she was. Hungrily he claimed a kiss from her, allowing himself to forget about his pain if only for a moment. She nipped at his lower lip, always her personal signal of affection. She wasn't a frail flower, and so him practically tossing her onto the bed was nothing.

The ripping of her clothes were again, nothing new.

The feeling when their bodies finally joined though, that was something. A start. His rhythm was comfortable, it was slow, accompanied with deep thrusts and his warm tongue curling around her nipple. Her nails digging into his back, screaming "Yes!" as he pushed them both to climax an indeterminable time later. Her loud cry, made even louder with the hope that she'd be heard. Oh how she hope they had heard her downstairs.

She might just come again with vindictive delight if they had. Those two weren't the only ones allowed to have fun today, after all.

Her mood didn't even spoil that much when they lounged beneath the covers post-coitus, his manner towards her sweet and caring to the point of sickness. Rosalie wasn't one for sentiment either, but she let him hold her even until he fell asleep, tired out from the exertion. She simply curled up beside him, gloating in the feeling of imagining herself as a spider who has just caught a large fly in her net.

But like always, she did tend to feel a little rage when he began to moan another girl's name in his sleep. The name of a girl she had hated ever since age seven when that same girl had received a kiss on the cheek from Rosalie's dear twin brother. The same girl who even now was probably fucking that brother on the living room couch. A girl who made Rosalie's heart turn cold with jealousy because she had what could never ever be Rosalie's, not rightfully.

So when Edward started sleep-talking about Alice, it was always a rather touchy subject. Not because she cared about Edward for any stupid reason, but solely because of her hatred towards the girl he couldn't seem not to mention while unconscious. Rosalie didn't give a fuck who Edward liked, sure it made him an easier target to rile up if she knew his weakness, but she really didn't give a damn who he fawned over. She didn't love him, he was just someone to pass the time with.

No, it was definitely the harlot he mentioned that got on her nerves. Rosalie couldn't believe that despite knowing she was unfaithful, Jasper would still want her. It made no sense in her black-and-white form of justice, which of course was based on whatever she wanted to base it on. If she wanted something to be wrong, it was wrong. If she thought doing something was okay, she was still a paradigm of virtue in her own mind if she went ahead and did it.

Everything was subjective in Rosalie Hale's world, and tonight was just a night like any other. As fun as they came for a young woman consumed with envy, anyway.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_So I_'_m anxious. This chapter was shorter than Chapter One. It's not warm and fuzzy. Kind of scared of reader rejection. What did you think? What do you think is going on with these four clearly unhappy people?_ _What does Alice have that Rosalie can't have that makes her so hostile? Or basically, what theories do you have about any of it? I'd love to know if you'd care to share them with me._**  
**


	3. Peter Pan Syndrome

**Author's Note:** _Um, say goodbye right now to any impressions you have of Edward as a great guy in this story. That's all I'm saying. As always I recommend reading/watching something heartwarming after reading this chapter, right after you review, that is. I would say enjoy it, but this isn't overall a happy chapter...then again when are there ever happy chapters in Murderville?_

_Fair warning: There is disturbing content in the form of sexual assault, and later in the chapter, a brief Dom/Sub part, I reiterate, brief.  
_

_Don't kill me because Edward isn't a white knight and paradigm of virtue and sweetness, and he's actually just crazy and jealous on the inside!_

_Anyway, sorry for taking so long. Dark stories take a lot out of you to write, I'm afraid. And one of my patients died recently, so I was a little sad over that._

_Finalement, PLEASE, please take a few seconds to visit this site and vote for PANDAS research, you'll be doing a world of good: _www[dot]refresheverything[dot]com/PANDAS

_x_

_x  
_

**_Murderville_**

_x_

_Chapter 3:  
_

_"Peter Pan Syndrome"_

_x  
_

_x_**_  
_**

Alice decided right then and there that she hated funerals. She certainly wasn't a big fan of wearing all black, and crying was no fun either. And since she was in the company of both her fathers (of which Aro was her actual sire), she had to pretend to be their perfect little princess. That meant being quiet and still through the whole ceremony, not complaining when her dads decided to sit right next to the Masens on one of the pews, and it also meant that she had to pretend to be sad for the death of a man she hardly even knew.

After the sermon and the laying of the casket into the ground, everyone went up in their family groups to pay respects to the Clearwaters for Harry's loss. Shortly after that came the reception, during which she was standing in the corner. Of course, she couldn't just be left alone. No, someone had to bother her as per usual.

This time though it was kind of a relief. _He _was watching her like he always did when he was thinking of hurting her_._ He, her personal demon since a few years ago. But she wouldn't think about that now, she wouldn't. She couldn't let him see he got to her. _He_ was across the room talking to some other adults, but every so often his gaze landed on her. The corner of his smile perked up, and she shivered from where she was in the corner.

No, the person who had come to bother her now was almost like a guardian angel. Because when he came over to talk to her, he stood in front of her, blocking _His_ view. She was able to breath again, so she decided to be nice to Edward despite the fact that on any other day she would try to avoid him like the plague.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Edward. I didn't really know him," she said truthfully. "But Aro said we had to come to the funeral anyway. Stupid small town obligations and all."

"Same here, but it was my mother that insisted. I guess we both don't really want to be here. Want to go somewhere else?"

She didn't miss the barely-veiled excitement in his voice. Well, she supposed. It's all anyone thinks I'm good for, what did I really expect? No expectations from a boy who practically drools over me when we're in the same room? No. I have this luck. Alice wished she could just go home instead, or better yet, over to Jasper's house. He hadn't attended the funeral, was at work today, but she could wait for him to come home.

Wait for him to come home and be around, just be there. She didn't need anything more than that. He was the only one she could really talk to these days, since her brother Emmett had left for college. And it had been three months since she'd heard from him, so she was worried he'd already forgotten about his little sister in the wake of all that exciting uni life stuff that everyone raved about. He still hadn't written her a single letter.

He hadn't been returning any of hers either...

"Alice, do you?" Edward pressed.

"Sure."

It was raining outside, but they crossed the street over to their old high school anyway. It was always left unlocked in case someone wanted to use the gym or in their case, the music room. Best of all, no one else was there today, so they could have it to themselves. No funeral stuff. No interruptions. She would be kidding herself if she tried to pretend he just wanted to hang out because the funeral reception wasn't very exciting.

No, he clearly wanted something else, and she had a good idea what. It was no secret he was in some sort of puppy love with her. Half the boys in this town seemed that way, but there was something about him in particular that frightened her. Then again, maybe if she gave it to him, he'd leave her alone. Unlikely, but still, she could try. She very much wanted him to leave her alone for good. He was eerie, and that wasn't her type at all.

They went inside, and it was empty as she had expected. Forks wasn't really the cultural center of America, they had just enough kids to form one band class every semester, and half of those kids only stayed in because their friends pressured them to. Edward was one of the few genuinely devoted to music in the town. And probably the only one who would be caught using the music room for practice in the middle of the summer. No one else cared about it as much as him.

Yes, she thought. He definitely is in love with it. That's what I don't like about him. He's obsessive when he's into something, whether it's music, books... or me.

He headed straight for his instrument of choice, beckoning her to sit beside him on the bench. Inside, Edward was nearly crazy with the feeling of success. _Finally I can have her to myself for once_. He didn't feel confident enough yet to tack on 'forever' to that. He would still have to get rid of her boyfriend somehow, and wasn't sure exactly how he would go about it. But Edward knew that if given the chance, he wouldn't back down.

_You're so dead if I ever catch you alone in the dark, Hale_, he thought to himself gleefully as he tried to remember the opening bars of his composition. He had written it especially for her in the event that he could coax her into spending time alone with him. It was part of his master plan to win her to him completely. Step one, d-minor.

He began to play, not noticing her faraway expression. He was far too elated for that.

She listened dutifully, feeling rather listless as she mentally prepared herself to get this over with. Come to think of it, maybe Edward wasn't much better than _him_ after all. They both always wanted one thing from her, and one thing only. They both didn't seem to care all that much whether it hurt her, her feelings, self-esteem, anything. No, maybe he was just a younger version of _him._

How she wished that wasn't going to turn out true._ One is enough.  
_

Too soon it seemed he was finished with his composition, looking to her for approval. She forced a smile and nodded as if she had truly enjoyed it. He grinned crookedly like a pleased little boy, and moved closer to her on the bench. She let him pull her to him, didn't even object--outwardly--as he kissed her hard, probably about dying of a victory high. Maybe if she just went through with this, he would leave her alone.

She didn't even want to think about the fact, but she knew in her heart he wouldn't.

And so he was kissing her. She couldn't say no. He was picking her up now, setting her on top of the piano. She felt like she couldn't say no. It would be too hard. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. But she had feelings of her own. She didn't really want this. Did she? He was trying to take off her dress now. She couldn't say no. She didn't ever say no. _'God...feels good...I won't say no. But I'm just proving Rose right. _

_'But he'll forgive me. He always does, even though he knows. Jasper understands how hard it is to say no. I can never say it.'_

That was always her problem.

Just for the record, she didn't stop him.

x

x

x

It was after, and they had gotten to talking.

"And sometimes, he makes me feel like a darker person. Because well, I always let him down somehow, and I know that makes me a really bad person," she admitted. _'I feel like no one cares enough to make me stay within the rules, be faithful, be a good girl..._' she thought to herself. _'Not even the guy I want to be with more than anyone.'_

"Then why are you marrying him? It doesn't seem like you're very committed, or even a good match," Edward noted.

"Of course I want to marry him! Don't ever question that." Her face was angry steel.

"I thought it was a reasonable question, given what you had just said," he muttered stubbornly.

"I do want to, and besides, it would be selfish of me not to. I'm having his baby, and I never want my children to have just one parent. They deserve a father," she went on, mostly to herself, while next to her, his face twisted into an expression that channeled her mood just seconds before.

"Are you telling me," he began, his voice belying his ire. His hands clenched into fists, and he didn't even look remotely human any more as his fury grew in time with his raised tone of voice. "Are you telling me that you let me make love to you when you have _his_ child in you right now? Tell me that's a lie Alice, or I swear..." his chest heaved, and she cringed away instinctively. All of her senses were telling her to run.

"Make love? Edward I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself..." she reproved him quietly.

"No I'm not!" he snarled. "_I_ love you, and I meant it. What did you think all this was? I wrote a song for you, I took it slow, and I made love to you on that piano."

"It was just sex," she answered, feeling frightened. _This was such a bad idea_, she thought to herself. _So stupid_.

He then moved so quickly that if she'd blinked, she definitely would have missed it. All she knew was that he was on top of her again. He leaned down, not to kiss her, but aimed to the right. Finding her neck, he bit down, hard. She shrieked, and her hands went up to protect herself, to try and get him off of her. It wasn't working.

Another few seconds and he stopped her, grabbing both hands with one of his at the wrist, and pushing them over her head to stay there, against the floor. "Don't run away from me Alice. _I love you_. That's why this needs to happen. So you can tell the difference next time."

She whimpered, being reminded of a past memory that she didn't like to replay in her mind. She had gotten through that night by just doing what he said. The situation was similar, so she decided what would be best is to submit. No matter how much that hurt her. It would have to be over sometime, she just had to survive until then.

"Are you going to run if I let you go now?"

She shook her head, _no_.

"Then get on your knees, and bend over," he hissed in her ear. "We're going to do something fun."

She did what he said, guessing what was going to happen. Her body knew from previous experience, however much her mind didn't want to make connections between the two.

She got into position for him, and as expected, he was behind her. His fingers went between her legs, and instead of the gentle touching of earlier, this felt... determined. He was manipulating all the spots he knew would get her excited in a hurry. All too soon she was feeling wound up, and was squirming out of habit, trying to speed towards her release, but then right on the brink, he pulled his fingers out, all wet from her, and instead pushed them inside of her ass.

Her eyes widened, but she didn't say a word. She could hear his heavy breathing, and knew just how impatient he was. Already the tip of his cock was right there, and his other arm went around her waist, holding her in place.

"Now isn't this fun?"

She gasped as he shoved himself inside of her with little warning. He paused for a moment, letting her adjust, but only for a moment.

The rhythm in which he thrust in and out of her was intense, slightly painful, and fast. She hoped that meant it would be over soon. Very, very soon.

"This is sex. This is _me_ fucking _you_. I'm not looking into your eyes. I don't even seem to care about you. That is sex. What differences do _you_ notice?" he panted as he pushed them both harder, his fingers digging hard into her ribs, and she feared they would bruise. She couldn't go home with unexplained bruises. She couldn't even see _Jasper_ with unexplained marks on her body. She knew it would only prompt him to do something irrational and probably violent. He didn't take well to anyone hurting her.

"Alice, you're not... answering me." His fingers jabbed her, and must of struck a nerve or two, because it was very painful. She bit down on her lip, not wanting to cry, and yet she knew she had to speak, or he would be even angrier with her.

"Lots of differences," she answered finally. He grabbed her by the hips, and slowed suddenly, and she knew he had to be close.

"Name them," he growled fiercely. "Out loud so I can hear them."

"You're not going slow."

"Am I not?" he taunted her, pulling out, and then bringing her hips back against him until he was buried deep inside her. She felt a small tinge of pleasure, and was instantly humiliated. He didn't mean for her to enjoy this. She didn't mean to.

"You're hurting me," she cried.

"There's another difference. Anything else?"

"You're being unkind."

"You _made_ me this way, it's _your fault_," he told her. She hung her head sadly. He repeated the action, pulling out, and then thrusting back in. He groaned none too quietly, and then suddenly he was spilling into her, holding her hips steady. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll make the last one easy for you," he said, as he grabbed her, and laid them both down again. He turned on his side so that their faces were about three inches apart, and his eyes bore right into hers.

"If I was just fucking you, I would never bother with this."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers for the briefest of seconds, and then pulled away.

"But because I'm not just fucking you, I'll tell you that I love you, Alice."

He looked calm once more, but she was anything but at peace. Quickly, she stood up, grabbing her purse and her dress, which she slipped on over her head. All the while he watched her as if in shock that she wouldn't want to... _cuddle_ or something with him, after he did that to her.

No, Edward was being just like _him_, and she hated them both now. Bastards.

"I don't believe you, and I never will," she retorted coldly before collecting herself and walking out of the room.

It didn't matter. She was going to see her fiancé, and if he felt inclined to hurt the little bastard, then she would have no qualms about that. Not after that. He wasn't the first man to try and mess with her mind, but that would be the last time _he_ ever did. He could go to hell.

x

x

* * *

**The Police Station---Forks, Washington.**

"It's just so damn frustrating!" he stormed, pacing the front office. Bella noted that though she knew the pacing helped him, it was kind of annoying on a base level. Then again, Jacob had right to be so upset. The trigger that was Harry Clearwater's funeral had made him even more impatient in the Uley case.

She had just briefed him on all they had been able to find so far, which amounted to little.

Toxicology reports from the state crime lab had indicated the exact type of poison, which was arsenic. Good to know, but it was nothing really substantial as far as their investigation was concerned. Probably anyone could get a hold of arsenic; it didn't narrow their suspect field. Worse, they didn't even have a suspect. Bella had checked out the alibi of their only persons of interest---Emily and Leah. They both seemed to hold up.

Bella and Mike had split up interviewing the neighbors, and of course no one had seen hide nor tail of any person entering the Uley house. This left them with two different hypotheses as to how an outside suspect could have pulled it off. One: He/she had come from the woods, ran up and went inside, quickly transferred the poison into the batter and left. Or two: their conclusions were wrong and the would-be Mrs. Uley had committed the act herself. Jacob seemed damned-near determined to discredit the second theory.

Bella knew that in a bigger jurisdiction and had he been a lower ranking officer, Jacob would have been off the case faster than he could open his mouth to object. There was a clear conflict of interest, and though he wasn't doing the legwork, when it came to drawing conclusions, his views were pretty slanted. Still, she was empathetic.

Alas, there was a different sort of thought gnawing at her. It was definitely, entirely a stereotype, but she had once heard from an old detective that the only type of murderer that employs poison is a pissed-off woman. The angry woman in question would seem obvious. Leah Clearwater. But what if it was his fiancee? Had Sam done something to make her angry, to the point of murder? Had he reconciled, considered going back to the woman he had broken up with?

Bella Swan thought it was high time she found out when the last time Leah had talked to Sam was.

Ignoring Jacob's incessant habit, she picked up one of the desk phones and dialed the number to the woman's house. Leah picked up almost right off the bat.

"Yes?"

"Hello, sorry to bother you, but this is Detective Swan. I was wondering if you had spoken to Sam at all recently, before he was killed?"

The other line was silent for a moment.

"To be honest, detective, I haven't exchanged a word with him since we broke up."

"Okay then."

Finding that she had no other questions to ask, Bella decided to skip the awkwardness of remaining on the line. She wrapped up the phone call a minute later, and suddenly noticed that Jacob was standing over her shoulder when just before the call he had been across the room. He was staring at her expectantly, hopefully, as if he thought she had somehow was about to deliver the good news that she had solved the case. No such luck.

Hesitantly she bit her lip, but decided to go with her gut. Looking up at him, she said, "I don't believe Emily did it."

For the first time that day, Jake seemed to be satisfied with something that had come out of her mouth.

A definite conflict of interest indeed.

"But I want to put a watch on Leah. Just for a few days, watch her, see where she goes, who she visits, just in case. If nothing happens, we're back to the drawing board for suspects. I know you don't think she did it either Jake, but this is our job. We have to do it right, for Sam's sake," she told him, trying not to sound like she was reproving him, but they both knew she was for all the show.

He nodded, pacified by the mention of his dead friend. He must do better.

"I'll have Embry do it. He lives near-by anyway, and it won't look suspicious if he's hanging around the rez."

"Mike would seem a bit out of place," Bella added, smiling.

"Only a little, you and him are both palefaces, you'll stick out like a sore thumb in my neighborhood," Jake joked, grabbing the keys to his truck, parked outside. The cruiser was strictly for official business. Bella grabbed her stuff and followed him out of the police station. _'Time to go home,' _she thought. '_Maybe read a little or something, call my sister... ugh, am I really _that_ boring? Maybe I am.'_

She was standing in front of her own car, and yet she found that she had no desire to get in it if that's all she had to go home for.

"I know you're just getting settled in and all with the new apartment, but have you thought of checking out the Forks nightlife?"

Bella turned her head. Jake was leaning against the side of his truck, smirking at her in a way that might have been annoying if he wasn't so damn attractive, and if he technically wasn't being polite.

"And what does the nightlife around here consist of, exactly? Hay rides and corn mazes?" she bantered.

"Silly Bella, we grow lavender in this area, not corn. The plants don't get tall enough for much of a maze."

"Then what do you do for fun?"

"Oh, just a little this-or-that. Buy a friend a drink at the Woodstack. Interested?"

She sized him up. It was probably against the code of ethics somewhere to go out with your boss, but Bella couldn't seem to care about that right now. All she knew was that he was offering, and she was definitely interested. It had been too long since she'd been out with a man, especially an attractive one like Jacob Black. Perhaps it was time to end that streak, forget about things for a night.

He grinned as if he knew exactly what was going through her head.

"You go ahead and drive your car back to your place, Bella. I'll pick you up in an hour."

x

x

* * *

**The Clearwater House---La Push, Washington.**

Immediately after the strange call from the detective, Leah felt anxious, and less composed than she was accustomed to feeling. So she grabbed her cell phone and went out onto the porch to smoke. Her mother frequently chastised her about the habit, but frankly Leah could care less. She lit up and sat on the porch swing, gently rocking back and forth in an effort to sooth herself. It wasn't really working.

She took up the phone and hit speed dial number four.

Finally a man's voice on the other line answered. "I was busy, you know. I'm still at work."

"I'm aware, asshole. But I just wanted to tell you I'm not coming over tonight."

She could hear his aggravated sigh.

"Why is that?"

"I just am. So find something else to do, and don't be asking me stupid questions. Jesus, I didn't think you were that much of a simpleton. I'm simply not in the mood. Thus I am taking a rain-check until next time. Comprendez-vous?"

"If you must. Now I have to go, clients are waiting."

"Fuck you."

She hung up on him, and took a long draw on her cigarette, fuming. Their relation was complicated, that was for damn sure. For once she was even 'the otehr woman', something she had never aspired to be, but it couldn't be helped now. She was too into him. Damn the consequences if his lover ever found out he was boffing her on the side, she would just smile and take it.

Better yet, getting rid of that other lover would be her ideal solution. She didn't care how, whether it was just through a break up or something a bit more sinister. She would have him or die. Leah wasn't interested in letting another man slip through her fingers. Not for the second time, for it would be her last. No, she would have him, or no one at all.

"Can you spare one for me?"

She turned her head and frowned. Seth was home, and heading straight for the porch seat that she thought of as her own personal refuge. Then again, she did have a little something she wished to discuss with the brat, so why not let him get cozy for a moment?

"I might if you're good," she teased, patting the seat next to her. He threw himself down with no play of grace, stretching out his legs to stop the rocking motion of the swing.

"So today has been pretty much the dumps, wouldn't you say? Dad buried, people pretending to be sorry about it?"

He began in his typical 'fuck the world' manner that his sister had become accustomed to. He had been pulling the same crap ever since he hit 15 years old. Seth tended to beat up on himself and others when he wasn't in a good mood, so this outburst wasn't so unusual for him.

"Yes, but I am glad to see him safely buried underground." She puffed on her light a little, then added in with a knowing bent, "You know, hopefully they won't be trying to dig him up again for an autopsy or anything."

Seth glared at her.

"And why would you say that, Leah?"

She glared back, as if to say 'You know damn well why.'

"It's lucky I was able to dissuade her from the autopsy. I'm not stupid, Seth. I knew you had been switching his pills with placebos. Think how much it would have destroyed Mom if she knew it was your fault dad died."

Leah's tone did not sound accusatory, but more like a lecture. She was bringing out her big-sister voice, and it was that more than her words that made him feel the need to explain himself, to justify his actions.

"I hated being poor, Lee! He was going to die eventually, but his medication is so expensive, Mom and you and I all have to work more than we should have to. It doesn't mean I don't love him. It just means I love you, Mom, and myself more."

"Did anyone else know? Your little girlfriend, perhaps?"

"No, I didn't tell her. She wouldn't understand."

"Good."

"Hey wait, sis. If you knew, why didn't you try to stop me?"

"Dad was heading to a better place, Seth. Why would I have any sort of problem with that? I loved him too."

He sat for a moment, looking as ever like a sullen little boy while in contemplation. Finally he cleared his throat and muttered, "You know, I hate being grown-up, Leah."

She smiled sweetly and passed him him a cigarette.

"I believe everyone else in the world does too, Seth."

* * *

x

x

He was handcuffed to the bed, a blindfold over his eyes, and a gag pressed into his mouth. She was straddling his hips like a professional, taking her sweet time to undo all the buttons on his shirt. He cursed his choice of attire, but at the same time felt a great pleasure at the anticipation of when she would be finished. She knew he was excited, she was probably just milking it like she always did. Making their time together last. She hated to be alone.

"You look so fucking hot tied up for me," she whispered silkily into his ear, and then took the time to nip playfully at his lobe. He mourned the fact that she still hadn't taken off his suddenly much-too-small jeans. His shirt was open in front now.

And then, her weight lifted off of him. He groaned at the loss, but through the gag it was muffled.

Seconds later she trailed something over his abs. To a newbie it might feel just like string, but he knew what it was. He nearly shivered with joy.

"You are not going to move or attempt to resist. You've been a very bad boy, and you deserve punishment. Nod if you understand."

He slowly complied with the request.

This wasn't the first time they had played around like this, and he relished it when they did. Few people would do for him what his best friend would, and he knew he was lucky she was into the same... hobbies he was. Or this relationship wouldn't be that much fun after all.

She was waiting a moment to begin. Damn her, he thought. She knows I hate it when she does that. She just wants to get me all wound up, just like her little toy. Maybe that's what I am, after all. She treats me about as well as one... I will have to talk to her about that, afterwards. Definitely afterwards.

He felt her weight settle on top of him again, and he smirked against the cloth in his mouth. Now we're getting somewhere.

"I know what you did to her," Rose said, her voice with a certain edge to it. He didn't like it at all.

"You can't hide from me."

In his mind, sudden panic brewed. Why did he let her cuff him?

"It's sad, it's pathetic. You sunk down to a whole other level entirely. You raped her, and I don't approve at all, Edward. You shouldn't hurt people, that's my job, sweetheart. She's just a whore, she can't say no ever. She would have gone with it if, would have let you have your way if you had just stayed nice to her. But you're an idiot. You can't even control your petty little jealousy problem, and one day that's going to be your downfall. Nod if you understand, slave."

"I don't like she's with my brother either, but you don't see me going after her with an axe, or anything. There's subtler ways to hurt. I thought I told you that already," she snapped, getting into the stride of her anger.

Stunned, he couldn't even make a response. Turned out she didn't intend to give him room to answer. She cracked the whip against his ribcage with a vicious intensity. He floundered as he tried to move away, then remembering how imprisoned he truly was. He was bleeding, and she went in once more, angling her weapon to strike him across the face. He screamed against his gag, and tried to kick her away, but she was out of reach.

"You shouldn't have done that. You know better. _I taught you better._"

She removed his blindfold, and he saw her blue eyes, which now seemed to him as foreign. A beautiful Fury with his best friend's face. There was a sinister grin about her, and she continued to smile as she showed him the whip. Running her fingers over the handle, she continued her monologue. "I'm afraid you're too far out of line this time. I can't be fucking some crazy. You understand, don't you?"

Horrified, he shook his head, _no_.

"You really are slow this evening. I have to do this, it's for everyone's good. Oh, and when you get to the place upstairs, don't let fucking St. Peter try to put me down as some sort of hero. I still hate her guts, but not even a whore deserves that kind of treatment. And besides, I don't want my brother to go to jail for killing you. He's too pretty for prison, and I know how to keep myself out of trouble."

Once again looking pleased with herself, she removed his gag.

"Oh, and don't scream. Too messy."

She leaned down to kiss him once, a final farewell. The next second it was all over.

Handle-first, she shoved the whip down his throat. He was choking, couldn't breathe; it was all going to be over within a minute's time. She watched him fade away, probably relishing the power of it and how the last thing he'd ever see would be her face. She couldn't have have staged it any better if she had tried. Still feeling euphoric, she twisted the handle, watching him struggle to lift up his head, his hands straining to try and pull the whip from its lodging.

He was dying. Couldn't breathe with that there.

Black spots formed in his vision, inking out her image, and there was no cliched light at the end of the tunnel. Only never-ending darkness. He could feel her grinding the handle into his throat, and the pain was so much that he almost couldn't think anymore. Too much.

He wasn't going to live like this, gurgling and throwing up blood, his throat nearly collapsed. She wasn't going to be happy about the stains on her coverlet. Or the splinters of wood lost from her whip. Her whip. Their old toy. Murder weapon.

Some things just weren't meant to fit in certain orifices.

He was dead, and he wasn't going to come back.

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Shaking, the library came back into blessed focus as he woke up from what was unarguably, the worst nightmare of his life.

It had been startlingly, horribly real to him. Talk about your conscience coming back with a vengeance. Yet with his foolhardy morality, and despite the gruesome dream, he still did not regret anything he had done. Edward thought it was fine. All he had done was give her an example of how one could be mean, just to show that by comparison, he treated her fine.

Alas, even he wasn't so dumb as to have realized that his demonstration hadn't gone as planned. Alice had stormed off, clearly mad at him. That wasn't what he had planned on, but after some more contemplation, maybe she deserved it.

Wasn't their relationship normal, after all? He thought it must be. Couples have spats all the time. She'll get over it and realise that I love her.

Then again, she refused on labeling him and her as a couple. She had gotten herself engaged to stupid Jasper, which he would never understand.

Any time he talked, she always told him that while she was happy with the prat, he also made her sad for some reason. She wouldn't tell Edward why this was, and he didn't care to speculate. So why would she want to marry him?

Who the fuck knows? Women are complicated.

He shivered as the last part of his dream came back to him. Yeah, he wouldn't be sleeping again for a few more nights.

Not wanting to hang around the library where his mother worked, Edward slipped out the back door and onto one of the main streets in Forks. Being the middle of the day, it wasn't exceptionally busy. Just two or three people milled about, going into various shops. He walked along the main drag until he found a park bench and took a seat. The one bad thing about this town was that there was honestly nothing to do unless you were the bar-going age and type.

He was neither nor did he feel like doing anything else.

Oh yes, it was going to be a long day.

* * *

x

x

Seth was being admittedly, lazy, leaning against the brick wall of the sporting goods store, but all too soon he thought of a better way to pass his time.

Someone who he was very much interested in talking to was sitting just a few feet away on a bench.

_'__How wonderfully convenient,'_ he thought, smirking a little on the inside. Edward Masen and he had not known each other despite attending the same small high school, but they recognized each other in the way that small town folk do with familiar faces. The guy looked bored and perhaps even a tad guilty. But definitely distracted. Perfect.

Seth made his decision, and walked over to greet him.

"I couldn't help but notice you looked bored stiff. Forks-itis getting to you too?" he began conversationally, knowing he could be damn charming if he gave it a go.

"Something like that," Edward muttered.

He eyed the other young man quizzically.

"What are you proposing we do about it?"

"Nothing too exciting, but I thought it might be interesting at least to go for a hike. I found a new trail before... before my father died, and I had meant to explore it further, but then stuff well, you know, happened." Seth let his face go sad for maximum effect. He had to convince the Masen kid to go along with this. Or he'd have to do this the hard way, and to be frank, Seth was a sloth. He didn't like extra effort. Getting the job done quickly was fine with him.

"Oh, well I'm sure I could go tomorrow, if you don't mind waiting till then. It's already kind of late in the day to be starting now."

"That's what I meant, tomorrow," Seth amended quickly, "It's off Highway 101. I think there was a meadow, but I can't remember the exact way to get there. I was hoping to find it again. I can pick you up at your house if you'd like. Hopefully 9:00 isn't too early?"

"No, no that's fine. I look forward to it," Edward replied. _'__Bullshit'_ thought Seth. _'You look as sullen and despicable as you always do.'_

Yet he didn't comment on Masen's lack of enthusiasm. Instead he just nodded, and made some more small talk.

It seemed they wouldn't have to do this the hard way after all. '_Awesome_,' he thought. 'A hiking trip with my _new best friend_.'

* * *

x

**Author's note: **The next chapter is a continuation of this day/night, so don't worry, I haven't forgotten Jake & Bella's hot date, lol.

Ok, so maybe _someone_ might grow corn in the general Forks area, but if you've been to that corner of Washington, you will know that especially in the town of Sequim, lavender growing is the thing to be doing. Exhibit A: Sequim is the "Lavender Capital of North America" and hosts the Lavender Festival in Mid-July. I find it ironic though that they say "The festival in sunny Sequim." Quite the oxymoron there. Sequim is NOT sunny, not in my experience, lol. Very gray and menacing, actually. Sorry, I'm a native Washingtonian. =]

Anyway if you are interested in these things, here's the site: http://www(dot)lavenderfestival(dot)com/

And like always, it would be incredible if you took just a few Seconds to REVIEW. Let me know you're enjoying, any questions you have, etc.


	4. Because You're Mine

**Author's Note:** I have a thread for this story over on the Twilighted forums, where I post reading questions and answer questions. If you want to check it out, I'm posting the link in my profile at the top. This chapter I hope will be interesting as them all. We're going to check in with a few of our other characters who haven't been mentioned all that much until now, see how they're doing, what they're up to, exactly. I had fun writing it, so won't you be kind and review? **=]**

Movie Recommendation: _The House of Yes_. [look it up, kids; some of the characters in this story emulate characters in that movie...]**  
**

_x_

_x_

**Murderville**

_x_

_Chapter 4:_

_"Because You're Mine"_

_x_

_x_

In reality she had to go straight home and act as if nothing extraordinarily horrible had happened to her that afternoon.

Her fathers were expecting her for the usual family dinner, and if she didn't show up, there would be consequences. Ever since she could remember, the four of them [once you included her older brother Emmett] had gathered around the table at six o' clock sharp, and their housekeeper Margretta would serve them dinner. There would be the normal, "So how was your day?" and everyone would get a chance to share. As she had started to get older, it felt more and more like a façade. Then again, Aro had always had a theatrical bent.

Alice got back on time, and even had time for a shower before she had to go sit down. The hot water calmed her better than anything so far, and the feeling of putting on a pretty new dress didn't exactly hurt either. It was the little things keeping her sane right now. She skipped downstairs putting on her happy face, and took a seat next to her father.

Tonight's meal was some sort of casserole that looked appetizing but was otherwise unidentifiable. The three of them helped themselves, taking the customary first bites that were polite before starting into their staged...normal family conversation. 'Can't wait for it to be all over,' she muttered inwardly. Alice had important plans tonight, and so was hoping that she could reasonably get excused from the table earlier than usual.

"Where did you and your friend get on to earlier today?" Aro began, glancing sideways at his daughter, seemingly good-natured. She knew better.

"The high school. He played some music for us, and we talked. That was all. The reception wasn't exactly a good time."

"He seems like an amiable boy."

She forced a conspiratorial smile, and nodded. "Yes, very nice boy." Nice in the fashion of someone else I hate that I know... Time for a subject change, she wasn't going to let him pry any deeper into that particular disaster. So she instead took the initiative, following their make-nice fashion. No awkward questions, right? "How was work, Father? Were you able to obtain the subpoena from the D.A.?"

"Yes, yes of course my darling. It all went rather well. Why don't you ask your father how his day went. He had an extraordinary day from what I've heard." Aro grinned at his partner, and she reluctantly turned her attention across the table. 'An extraordinary day, Carlisle, really?' she thought. 'Aro wouldn't believe how many of those you actually have, given the hobbies you enjoy. Not that you'll ever chat to him about that, will you?'

"And how was your work, Papa?" she said, feeling generally less than sanguine.

"Interesting," Carlisle commented. "I'm being considered for Chief of Surgery when Dr. Pauling leaves in September. I just heard about it today."

Before she had a chance to reply, Aro clapped his hands together in the seat beside her. "See Carl, it was only a matter of time, I did tell you that the job would be yours eventually. And so it will, come September. We shall have to celebrate this."

"Small town, not very stiff competition, Ari. But I expect it is, as they say, in the bag for me."

Dinner flowed about as smoothly as usual after that. Alice concentrated on just finishing her dinner so that she could get up, Aro chatted up Carlisle, and everything was happy on the surface. She finally had eaten enough to be excused, and Aro let her go without much notice. When she was heading for the stairs to her bedroom though, she was intercepted by her other 'father' - who wasn't even really her father - and he had something more to ask.

"Did you give that ring back to the lost and found at the hospital?"

An innocent enough question. She kept her face passive.

"Yes, I did, on my way out the other day. For all I know the real owner has already picked it up. Do they tell you if the person shows to claim it? It was such a beautiful ring, you know, it'd be dreadful for it to go to waste," she babbled on, pleased at how perfectly normal and believable she perceived herself to sound.

"I'm not sure they tell you, but I'm glad you turned it in. It would be have been a shame if you had _disobeyed_ me. You know what would happen if you didn't," he stated, ignoring the slight expression of horror that crossed her face.

"I do," Alice agreed quietly.

"Goodnight then, sweetheart. Sleep well." He patted her cheek fondly, and she felt unhappy on the inside.

No, she wasn't going to sleep quite yet. Let him think what he wanted though, she wasn't particularly chuffed with the idea of how Carlisle would react if he knew exactly what she was getting up to just as soon as she went to her bedroom. It was better that he knew nothing, like he currently did.

Things were eminently safer for her if he was kept out of the loop. Still, there were things he knew that she didn't.

"Papa?" she called from the bottom stair. He turned around and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"You haven't gotten any letters from Emmett, have you? I've been writing him forever, but I haven't heard back yet."

"He might be busy. College is a rough time, especially in the beginning. Feel lucky you don't have to go." Carlisle shrugged.

Alice had already known he and Aro had no intention of letting their princess go to school far away, but it was still a slap to the face every-time he mentioned it. As if she weren't smart enough for uni, or something, that's what it felt like they were hinting at. She _knew_ she could do well if only given the opportunity.

Truth was, she envied Emmett. He was able to escape to a different state, with loads of new people who knew nothing about him. A clean slate. No reputation. No problems dragging him down.

It wasn't fair. He didn't even have the bad end of things, _she_ did. She was the one who could really use a fresh start, a get-away. But as always, her brother was the lucky one. He got every good thing in life, and she got all the worst experiences.

Despite this or perhaps because of his essential 'good-ness', she loved her brother more than anyone on the planet, except Jasper. Emmett had always been nice to her, protective, supportive and everything a brother ought to be. Yet some things were just too horrible for her to tell him about, so he couldn't protect her from them. What had happened today was a key example of such an event.

"All right. Maybe if I wait, he'll write back."

"I'm sure he will sweetheart. Just give it time, and you'll probably have a whole stack of letters waiting in the mail. Now, go get some sleep. You're volunteering at the hospital tomorrow, remember?"

"I remember Papa. In the cancer ward. I'll come on time."

Carlisle smiled again, and then turned off back down the hall. There was nothing wrong with him and Aro having an early celebration of his promotion, after all. Nothing wrong with that in the least. He had a few ideas of how they could spend the rest of the evening, that was for damn sure.

* * *

**Somewhere - 3rd person POV.**

Sleep. It seemed like all he was allowed to do these days, was sleep them right away. With a mind so foggy from that, he couldn't even remember where he was half the time, or why he was there at all. He had to be missing something; he knew he had had a life before this place. School may-hap, he was young enough to have come from there. Did he have any friends, family? Not that he could recall.

There was something different about today though, he could feel it.

The fluorescent lighting snapped on as he heard the door open beside his bed. A woman in all white walked in, and his eyes widened at the size of the syringe she was carrying. She had to have been some sort of nurse, dressed as she was. But what was the clear liquid inside of the needle's barrel? Was it for him? He couldn't remember, but he didn't hear anyone else in his room. It must be for him then.

The nurse knelt beside him so that their gazes were level with each other. Like a parent about to give her child a time-out. Was that the purpose of the shot? A time-out?

"It's all right, you're going to be fine if you just behave yourself," Nurse told him. He nodded. He was too tired and did not know why he would be wanting to cause trouble in the first place.

"The director isn't in today. I'm not going to give you this. I don't think you're dangerous." She waved the needle. "I don't know why they sedate you at all. You're not like the other high-risk ones. In fact..." but she broke off, clearly thinking better of finishing the statement.

"What is it?" It was odd to hear himself speak aloud. He had quite forgotten what his voice sounded like, having not used it lately.

"I don't even know why they put you in here at all. You seem normal to me. Harmless," Nurse added. Her eyes went all sad. "You're lifeless in here. Do you know where you are?"

"No. I don't even remember my name, to be honest."

She whispered it in his ear, and a spark began in his mind. It sounded familiar, like something from his life before. She must be telling the truth this time.

"Why am I here?"

Nurse shook her head.

"Dunno, I'm afraid."

He turned to face the wall in his bed. He was afraid too. Afraid of never knowing this much again.

He heard the faint sound of liquid hitting the floor, and the quick snap of the needle being disposed of in a sharps container. The door opened, and then closed. Nurse was gone, but it wasn't time for sleep now. No, it was time for thinking instead.

He felt like he should remember something about tonight in particular, but he couldn't conceive of it yet.

Maybe tomorrow he'd figure out what it was. It was bound to be important, or it wouldn't bother him so much to have forgotten it. That much he could deduce.

* * *

**Not Her Bedroom - Forks, Washington.**

She made her final preparations, smoothing down the skirt of her dress and checking the mirror to see that she looked well enough. This night was very important, and one she had been waiting for for a few months now.

It was her wedding night.

As soon as she had graduated high school, she had known that her and Jasper were going to get married, but it was finally happening tonight. She was almost relieved for that fact. Marriage was a huge commitment, she wanted to behave herself now. Turn over a new leaf, so to speak. No more letting anyone walk all over her, and just sitting back and taking it. She didn't want to hurt him anymore.

She knew he hated that she did these things, but on the other hand, he never tried to stop her. Perhaps that's what killed her the most about things. In her mind, Jasper should want to tell her to stop it. Tell her that he was going to be the only one that made love to her, kissed her, held her, the whole lot. He didn't; he never had come close to setting those kinds of limits.

But maybe now, maybe tonight it would be important enough for him to make a speech about. She was to be his wife after all; they were going to have a baby, a fact she had only just found out about a week ago. She was going to tell him tonight, make the night even more special than it was already.

Alice had decided not to tell him about 'the incident' though. Not tonight. She didn't want him angry on their wedding night, there would be a plethora of better times to tell him, she was sure of that. She could survive another day without getting it off her chest; she had somehow survived eighteen years of life through different trials and tribulations, one more day wasn't going to ruin everything. He would understand why she didn't tell him right away, wouldn't he?

The ring Carlisle had asked her about earlier was in the palm of her hand. Of course she couldn't have told him or Father that it was really her engagement ring. They just wouldn't understand, considering she never _had_ told them she was with Jasper in the first place. For all they knew, she wasn't dating anyone, and Edward was a nice boy who they hoped she might warm up to for the future.

All lies, but every one necessary.

Alice took one more look into the mirror, and smiled.

It was supposed to be the happiest night of her life. Hopefully it would live up to the hype.

* * *

**The Woodstack Bar - Forks, Washington.**

The Woodstack wasn't the finest institution Bella had ever been in, that was for certain, but it did hold a particular sort of charm when she was there with a guy like Jacob. He picked her up from her apartment right on time, and it had only been a ten minute drive to the bar.

Inside, they picked up twin brews and managed to find a quiet table off to the side where they could hear themselves think. Around them townies drank themselves away and went through time-honored mating rituals, or conversely, gathered up at the bar to watch the solitary flat-screen mounted to the wall. Some sports match was playing, and it was doubtful anyone even cared who was playing. Sports were just what one viewed at the bar.

An odd ensemble of rock and country came from the speakers placed strategically in each corner of the Woodstock, and you had your regular girls nearly falling out of their chair while sipping tequila shots with their friends. All very normal, for a weekend.

"It's strange how nothing changes sometimes. A bar in Forks is about what one is in Seattle," Bella commented after they sat down, her eyes darting around the room to take it in.

"Yes, bars don't get much classier than this," he joked. "There's a sort of glass ceiling involved."

They started in on their drinks for a quiet moment or two, but she knew he wouldn't be content to sit in silence forever. And she wasn't disappointed in her assumption, as he struck up some conversation not too much later. Jake was nothing if not forward, personality-wise.

"So, Swan, you know pretty much all about me, all that's relevant, anyway. Care to fill in your side of the story?" Jacob's eyes glinted a little, and she could instantly picture how much of handful he must have been for his parents in high school. Usually he wasn't her type, but Bella found herself strangely drawn to him in the setting of this small town; he belonged here, and he made her feel like she did too.

It was admittedly, nice, to feel that way for once in her life. Even back home it hadn't been something she'd necessarily felt.

"I grew up in Tukwila, my dad Charlie was on the force there; he's retired now. My mother Renee taught ballet and looked after me and my older sister Esme. Essie's married now, she has two little girls and a boy. They live in Sequim."

"Come on, Bells. Let's hear about you. I'm out with you right now, not them. No offense."

"Sorry. I don't know, I think my life has been kind of boring up until now. I went to school like everyone else, graduated, went to the police academy, graduated, worked, and then, now I moved here because Forks needed a detective." She shrugged.

"No hair-raising and/or salacious details?" he teased, taking a sip of his beer.

Bella laughed. "Salacious details, really, Jacob? Surely I don't strike you as that type of girl."

He looked her straight in the eye and spoke again, his words causing her to blush from the sound of their intimacy, their seriousness; everything about them was unnerving and yet so enticing at the same time. She genuinely couldn't believe he uttered them, but somehow he did. "I think you could be, with the right person. And I don't mean salacious in any negative way. Just... fun. Happy. That sort of thing."

When she didn't answer him right away, he managed to recover and salvaged the moment by asking her to dance. Bella wasn't generally the dancing type, but it was eminently preferable to sitting together at the table in the middle of an awkward pause.

They got up from their seats, and he guided her outside onto the patio. Quieter music could be heard out here, and no one was around to critique her if she was clumsy. It definitely made her more comfortable. And the fact that he seemed to understand this was better for her gave him major brownie points in her mind. Maybe Jake was a bit deeper or at least perceptive than she had pegged him before.

His arms were warm, one on her shoulder, and one on her waist. She hadn't danced like this since Prom. Neither of them were experts, but they found a good rhythm, slowly stepping back and forth across the small dance floor. It brought a genuine smile to Bella's face.

There was something about it, the way he held her that spoke volumes. Clutching her to him a bit too close for propriety; another step and they'd be flat out against each other, but with each passing moment, she found herself giving into the notion more and more as the oddly hypnotic song kept playing.

Or was it his eyes that were drawing her in? Tough call. Jacob was staring at her intently, and she for once wasn't so embarrassed as to look away.

She held the gaze, though admittedly her cheeks did grow a little hot as things progressed. She wanted badly for him to say something, or for herself to have the guts to say something, but the moment was too high-strung.

She could have almost melted when his hand went up to stroke along the side of her face. They paused momentarily, just standing.

He slowly ran his finger over her lips, and smiled a bit mischievously.

"Perfect," he noted.

_You are too_, Bella thought, much too shy to say it aloud. But from the looks of it, he already knew what she was thinking.

She stared at him, a bit wide-eyed. It wasn't a question of interest, no, rather was this professional?

He technically _was_ her boss. But did that really matter?

"Bella, hold on a minute, will you?"

He released her suddenly, and started walking the other way. She turned around quick, both relieved to not have to think very hard about the situation and also trying to see what he was doing. All she saw was two people locking lips against the side of a car. Normal enough it would seem. They were a bit dressed up, that was really the only odd thing about it.

Jacob made his way over to the couple, and in his most authoritative voice, broke them up with a simple "Why good evening, there, young lovers."

Bella cringed a little on the inside for them, but immediately ceased that train of thought when she saw who one of those people was. She found herself heading towards them too, mind going overtime as she remembered. Alice Cullen was supposed to be going out with the Clearwater boy, last she'd known. The tall, blond guy she had been cavorting with definitely wasn't Seth. Question is, why was she stepping out in the first place?

Jake summed about that much as he reprimanded the poor girl. Bella said nothing, just watching. The guy was glaring at them as if he would like nothing more than to break Jacob's nose-which he very well might be wishing-and Alice was simply nervous, on-edge.

And there was a ring on her finger. A very nice, old looking ring.

Noticing Bella's gaze, she made a quick move to cover that hand with her ring-free hand, and leaned into the arm her companion had around her shoulder. She then looked resolutely at the ground, never bothering to look back up again the whole confrontation.

"I don't hope you thought you could sneak in and get a few drinks at the bar, did you?" Jake said. He looked pointedly at Alice, "Being that at least one of you is under drinking age. Maybe I ought to call her parents?"

"She's a legal adult; she has every right to be out with me," the guy said defensively, still not stopping with his aggressive front as far as Jacob went. "And we were just hanging around, not getting into trouble. It's a date, Chief, nothing sinister, okay?"

Jake eyed him pensively for a moment as if making his mind up about something, and then nodded. "As long as she's with you of her own free will. But I would suggest finding somewhere else to 'hang around', kid."

"She is, she's..." he glanced at Alice, who wasn't at all smiling.

Still with her head down, she muttered, "I'm his wife. Suppose you can't really hide a ring on your finger for too long, but my fathers don't know about it yet. They can't know. So if you'll please, don't call them. I want to be out with Jasper, but my dads just... it's none of their business, alright?"

Noting the undertone of fear in her voice, Bella jumped in. There was no use in scaring the poor girl if she and her partner technically hadn't committed any sort of crime. And Bella knew that in her shoes, it would have been just as scary. "We won't tell anyone your private matters. But as Chief Black said, this probably _isn't_ the best place for your outing. Maybe Port Angeles would have some better places to spend a few hours?"

"Maybe so. We were about to just go home though, so if we're free to go..." Alice began.

"Yes."

"Good then."

Their goodbyes weren't particularly eloquent.

The young couple got back into their car and drove off, leaving Jake and Bella alone in the Woodstack parking lot, both of the officers in a contemplative mood, their brief moment of romance having been dashed by the strangeness of this encounter. Both found themselves wondering, without much success, as to why the girl's parents couldn't know about her recent - or so it had seemed - nuptials. And especially why she had pretended to be another man's girlfriend when they had last seen her.

Nothing added up, and it _was_ suspicious.

Then again, it might be and probably was just some silly teenage drama, given the hormones and all, but in a town still reeling from its first dose of true crime, one had to ponder the silly things a little harder than usual...they might turn out to be important when you least expect it.

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_"Because you're mine_  
_ The brightest star I see_  
_ Looks down, my love, and envies me_  
_ Because you're mine, because you're mine"_

_-"Because You're Mine" by: Nat King Cole._

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**Author's note: **Long time between updates, but it's kind of a busy time for me right now. I'm about to move far away, and getting ready for that is... involved, for damn sure. Anyway, what are your thoughts upon finishing this chapter? Any new theories about anything?

I look forward to the reviews. :D


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